Defining The Project

An electronic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a form of radar which is used to create images of an object, such as landscapes. The SAR uses the motion of one antenna over a target region to provide finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional beam-scanning radars. SAR technology is typically used in environmental monitoring, earth-resource mapping, and military systems that require broad-range imaging at a higher resolution. This technology is very expensive with some radar system costing millions of dollars. SAR has some applicable civilian uses but has not yet been explored expansively because lower cost electronics are just beginning to make SAR technology affordable for small scale or academic uses.

This project plans to research and develop an SAR imager for the purpose of weapons detection in homeland security applications such as government buildings, airports, and public spaces. The goal of the project is to use Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to create a low cost, fully functional imager. Opposed to traditional SAR imagers that have one mobile synthetic antenna, this project will have multiple stationary antennas that will create a single image. More details on this theory of multiple antennas can be seen on the Technical Documents tab in the reports section. 

One of the main requirements of the imager is that it produce low resolution images instead of high resolution images. For the purpose of weapons detection, high resolution imaging is not necessary because it shows too much intimate detail. The images desired by this low resolution SAR are just indication images that a metal object or potential weapon exists on a person or their belongings. 

This type of technology is needed to help reduce rising cost of security for the nation and prevent future terror attacks from happening. It can also be used to protect the citizens of this nation in public places like movie theaters, amusement parks, or schools. In recent years there has been an alarming increase in mass shootings in these types of public spaces. There is a clear need for a low cost, fully functional weapons detection system that can help prevent future domestic attacks from occuring.

The project will be led by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department for the system design, programming, and analysis. The Mechanical Engineering Department will be responsible for designing and building an affordable structure to house and support the antenna system, power supply, and components box supports. The Industrial Engineering Department will be responsible for project management, quality engineering, budget allocation, risk assessments, scheduling, and facility management. All team members will work collectively to execute a successful conceptual design by the end of the project as well as create a well-documented report showing all analysis and justifications for design elements. These reports and design documents can be found on this website in the Technical Documents section as well.